Results of the 2013 Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests released last week by the Georgia Department of Education show that Fulton County Schools continues to outperform the state in the majority of grades and subjects. While results remained relatively stable for Fulton in the meets and exceeds standards categories, there was upward movement in the exceeds standards category in several areas.

“We’re excited that several academic areas increased in the exceeds standards category, but we want to see improvement in all academic areas,” Superintendent Robert Avossa said in a statement. “It’s important that we continue to raise the ceiling as well as the floor when it comes to student achievement.”

The CRCT measures how well students are learning the curriculum in core subject areas. Grades three to eight were tested in reading, English/language arts, math, social studies and science during spring 2013. CRCT scores are reported by three performance levels: meets standards, does not meet standards and exceeds standards.

In reading, all grade levels showed increases or remained the same in the percent of students in the meeting or exceeding category. All grades showed increases in the exceeds category.

In English/language arts, 90 percent or more of the students in each grade scored in the meets and exceeds category. All grades except grade 6, which increased by one percentage point, showed slight declines between one and three percentage points. In grade four, Fulton outperformed the state in the percent of students in the exceeds category by 11 percentage points.

Math results were varied among the grade levels. Grades four, five, six and eight showed increases in the percentage of students in the meets and exceeds category as well as the exceeds category. Grades three and seven showed slight declines in both categories.

In social studies, all grades except for grade eight, which remained constant, increased by one to three percentage points in the percent of students in the meets and exceeds category.

The percent of students scoring in the meets and exceeds category for science showed slight changes over last year with increases or decreases plus or minus one percentage point.

All grades except eight, which remained the same, showed decreases in the exceeds category. Georgia law requires that students in third, fifth and eighth grade meet or exceed standards on the CRCT in reading in order to be promoted. Fifth and eighth grade students must also meet or exceed standards on the CRCT in mathematics.

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